Includes bibliographical references (p. 261-280) and index
Explanations for limited and unlimited wars -- Research strategy and statistical tests -- War to the death in Paraguay -- World War II : German expansion and Allied response -- Commitment problem mini-cases : the Crimean, Pacific, and Iran-Iraq wars -- Short wars of optimism : Persian Gulf and Anglo-Iranian -- The limits on leaders : the Falklands War and the Franco-Turkish War -- Recapitulations, implications, and prognostications